This week’s handmade co-op puzzle won’t defox itself. If you’re a whizz at quizzes, lateral thinking, and search engine sleuthing, why not lend a hand.
To fully defox the following geofoxer, identify all twelve locations plus the theme that links them.
* * *
SOLUTIONS
words ending in ‘ea’ (Nutfield)
a1. nausea (a_monk)
b1. eritrea (Nutfield)
c1. idea (Viscount)
d1. galatea (Mrs Nutfield)
e1. pangea (aergistal)
characters in jane eyre (Mrs Nutfield)
a2. bertha and/or richard mason (a_monk)
b2. grace poole (Nutfield)
b3. mr rochester (Colonel_K)
c2. miss temple (Nutfield, Viscount)
d2. the three rivers – diana, mary, and st john (Aergistal)
explosions (a_monk)
e2. parthenon (Zwack23)
d3. nelson’s pillar (Viscount)
e3. cornelia parker (a_monk)
d4. azf memorial (Colonel_K)
e4. EOD badge (Colonel_K)
fanfare for the common man (Nutfield)
a3. common man (Phlebas)
a4. copland (Nutfield)
a5. fanfare (Colonel_K)
b4. wallace (Colonel_K)
b5. MR-73 (Viscount)
battle of the surfaces (Colonel_K)
c3. grass (Zwack23)
c4. federer (Colonel_K)
c5. clay (Viscount)
d5. nadal (Viscount)
e5. palma arena (a_monk)
Since I doubt I’ll be checking in next week I should take this opportunity to wish Roman, Tim and Defoxers everywhere a Merry Christmas and a Solvable New Year.
If THC is having a Covid Super-spreader event-themed Christmas get-together then I trust the spirit for the duplicator will be locked up, or else diluted in the punch. I hope none of the Veras will be inclined to embarrass themselves with the Hectograph.
Happy holidays !
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
G. Royal Tank Museum, Amman, Jordan
Gordon Bennett, that took some exploring!
https://www.google.com/maps/@31.9088109,35.9250721,3a,75y,173.41h,92.6t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPJYWAw8oMZKLa_4LqVLkMh4y1D3pX3b0rGMQxA!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPJYWAw8oMZKLa_4LqVLkMh4y1D3pX3b0rGMQxA%3Dw900-h600-k-no-pi-2.5967541992663854-ya217.97483368946686-ro0-fo100!7i8192!8i4096?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Hiding behind the M60A3 (possibly the Jordanian Phoenix upgrade) is a Ratel, aka honey badger.
A. Desert Rats Memorial, Thetford, Norfolk – Cromwell tank known as Little Audrey II
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.5381943,0.6718542,3a,48y,45.37h,86.68t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sOhtsCuD_PksGbVf1QubYOg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D3.3203686197911253%26panoid%3DOhtsCuD_PksGbVf1QubYOg%26yaw%3D45.368287038007246!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Stan and Audrey. Is it a Coronation Street link?
K – Ulverston at the crossroads of Daltongate, King Street and Queen Street. War memorial very slightly in shot.
https://ulverstoncouncil.org.uk/war-memorial/
Ulverston is primarily famous for being the birthplace of Stan Laurel, though I’m not aware of any famous comedians from Amman so that’s maybe not the link.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulverston
The florist behind the scaffolding is called Floral and Hardy, which is top punning.
Red Squirrels on the bench?
https://www.google.com/maps/@54.1959582,-3.0964197,3a,15y,273.44h,81.17t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s93mcD8iuzaDsXS2XJoOrsA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D8.831439552820498%26panoid%3D93mcD8iuzaDsXS2XJoOrsA%26yaw%3D273.43613624236707!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
They’re not part of the town’s coat of arms, but the town has several identical benches around the place.
D is Chinchilla, Queensland, the Melon Capital of Australia!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinchilla,_Queensland
It’s at the junction of the Warrego Highway, Colamba Street and Wondai Road.
E – Lord Hill’s Column, Shrewsbury
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Hill%27s_Column
I guess everyone else is at a Super-spreader event-themed Christmas shindig we haven’t been invited to.
i. The Ivy, London’s West End
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5127667,-0.1277571,3a,90y,298.12h,100.83t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sqENZ5g7m3gsWXRz8e5tV4w!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-10.833548443918957%26panoid%3DqENZ5g7m3gsWXRz8e5tV4w%26yaw%3D298.1220977338827!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
(Just noticed it says ‘IVY’ in the middle that Roman hasn’t masked)
Taken from just outside St. Martin’s Theatre, home of The Moustrap
C – On The Trail of the Monarch Butterfly exhibit at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4590901,-75.6441799,2a,75y,106.95h,82.48t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s0xMGcbE0bfoqUPGet4B3jw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D7.520313127921682%26panoid%3D0xMGcbE0bfoqUPGet4B3jw%26yaw%3D106.94655918159356!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
The green thing is a kayak!
The pictured ultralight and associated film are titled Papalotzin.
The aircraft attached to the kayak is a DeHavilland DHC-2 “Beaver”.
H – Enviroguard Pest Solutions in Ringgold, GA
Big mouse mascot, so along with desert rats, the Mousetrap and Chinchilla a rodent theme seems plausible!
I don’t know where B is, but could it be a Rathaus?
See also shrew, and whatever rodent is praying at that shrine in F.
J – Seabraes Viewpoint, Perth Road, Dundee. If you squint you can just see the LEMMINGS monument in the background.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemmings_(video_game)#Legacy
F – Mushaka the Mouse at a Ganesha shrine in Chiang Mai Arcade
L. Cheddleton Station on the Churnet Valley Railway
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.0651532,-2.0267756,3a,75y,294.4h,77.61t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sjg5-NYTjj350M9VUwyMtoA!2e0!5s20211001T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D12.387028737023485%26panoid%3Djg5-NYTjj350M9VUwyMtoA%26yaw%3D294.4044262240538!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1?hl=en&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Have we a rodential connection for this one?
Roland Rat’s Ratmobile is a Ford Anglia but different year and pink.
B – The Pied Piper of Hamelin